Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1887-01-28

fenclnbcf tn'm. On December Ith
along in the evening, Capt. Hays
commanding Company b, Washington
Territory Volunteers, then campcd at
Bradley's place, on the Ni>qually
Plains, of which company | was Il
member, received the following dis
patch:
Headquarters PUGET SOUND DISTRICT
FORT STEILACooM,
Or. NJ, Dee. I, 1855. }
Capt. p Hays, Commanding Compnny b,
Washington TERRITORY Volunteers:
Information has been received at this
post that on Tuesday night, while Lieut..
Slaughter was encamped about fifteen
miles below Morrison's, and about 81,
miles above Capt. Hewitt's camp, Lieut..
Slaughter, while sitting in Il small house
on Brannan's prairie, near the forks OF
the Green and White rivers, engaged in
consultation with Capt. Hewitt, Lieut..
Harrison and DIR. Taylor, was fired
upon by a large number OF Indians, and
at the first discharge Lieut.. Slaughter
was shot through the heart, two others
were killed outright, one mortally wound
ed (since dead) and five others wounded
Lieut.. Slaughter left 40 men and his ami
mails at Morrison's and it will be neces-
sary to relieve them at once. Upon the
receipt of this | wish YOU to concentrate
your command Immediately at Bradley 5,
and i'll advance report to Inc when you
will be ready to march from that place.
Very Respectfully, your most obeGient
servant, +. :. KEYS,
Capt Third Artillery Commanding.
\ few minutes after Capt. Rcys had
forwarded this dispatch, the thought
came to him that it was sent to a vol
unteer captain and not to Il regular
officer, and that the probability was
that the first thing Capt. Hays would
do would be to relieve Slaughtcr's
men and then report (and his head
was clear on that poinD and as he,
Capt. Keys, had never participated in
an Indian fight, concluded to follow
his dispatch as soon us possible. So
he took time by the forclock, and ar
rived in camp about an hour after his
dispatch. Immediately upon the re-
ceipt of the dispatch, Capt. Hays
called me to headquarters, laid the let
ter before me, informing me ut the
same time that he would move at day
break for Morrison's, and for me to
take what men wanted and locate
the Indians, rs lie wished to move with
dispatch and at the same time not to
fall into an ambuScadc; that he ex-
pectcd me to locate the Indians and
their proposed point of attack, and il
anybody was surprised he did not pro-
pose to be the one. | wills also in
structed to leave my sign at Puyallup-
hill ford and at such points as saw
fit.
Experience had taught me that the
less men upon Il scout Of this kind the
less danger, SO selected our old friend
and comrade, James Goudy. We
quietly slipped out of camp, taking
the road direct to Puyallup bottom.
After We came to the military road, at
Montgomery's, We there struck a long
trot, for two reasons: First, if the In
dians had left spy upon the COM
mand he would not be able to report
us if he should see us, and again we
had much work before us and but IL
few hours to do it in. We pushed on
with all the speed we could, both OF us
being young and active. 1t was not
long before we had many miles be-
tween us and camp. When We had
arrived within about one-half mile of
the hill, going down into the Puyallup
bottom, Goudy suddenly stopped, ask
ing me at the same time if / heard
anything. My answer was "no," but
at the same time l imagined that
smclt smoke. "Well," said he, I" /
hear nothing, but smell Indians
We then both fell upon our hands and
knees, he taking one said and | the
other of the road, and advanced in
this manner some hundred and fifty
yards or SO farther when we called Il
halt for consultation. The smell had
now become quite strong, there being
light breeze drawing up from the
bottom. 1t was an easy matter to To-
cate the direction from which it came.
Here was the work which we were
sent forward to do. We concluded
that one of us was to remain where we
were, the other to take to the brush,
approach the Indians, learn their To-
cation, numbers and what advantage
was to be taken of their position. 1t
was agreed between us that if the one
thus making the advance had occasion
to fire, or did fire, or if there was any
shooting, the other was to make for
the command with his information,
but if the signal was the screcch of the
night-owl he was to follow.
Now came the question who would
make the advance, both claiming the
right, but We settled it by lot. 1t was
my luck to win. The thing that trou-
bled me the most was the want OF
time, as it was now getting late in the
night. In making my advance, every
step had to be made with the greatest
care, every stick removed before set
ting the foot. could not advance in
straight line, for had to avoid wind.
falls. When | encountered fallen
tree, it had to be prospected for an en-
cmy. My advance was necessarily
slow. | had no trouble in following
my nose, and that was the best guide